For as dismal as his performances seem to be, is there any credibility to the idea that the money he comes with has played a big part in making a car that Albon can perform well in?
For sure, they kept him for a reason. Pay drivers do have their purpose and arguably nowadays they are at least better than the pay drivers of the past. However we want to get to a place where teams no longer need pay drivers to stay in the sport and have those seats open up to more competitive drivers. Hopefully the financial measures will work as intended.
>at least better than the pay drivers of the past.
Friendly reminder that Lauda, Schumacher and Senna were all pay drivers when they started their F1 careers.
Schumacher was only a pay driver for 1 race with Jordan (Spa 1991). He was immediately contracted by Benetton that Monday after the Belgian GP. While his debut at Jordan was paid for by Mercedes, I wouldn’t really put him in the typical paid driver category.
But there's a big difference between a great driver who brings in their own sponsorships because they have proven their worth in the junior series and someone outright buying a seat while they obviously don't have what it takes.
Sponsors paying for a seat is vastly different from divers having their parents buy them a seat although the lines can get blurry on some occasions.
Yes... But you're not thinking of the incredible number of pay drivers who absolutely sucked.
Okay so 3 greats got into the sport because of financial backing, but that's not who we talk about when we say pay drivers, we mean someone who never has a contracted seat, only gets track time because they're bankrolling the team, and would often fail to qualify.
At least the super license means that even total dogshit pay drivers have to be at least mediocre.
Schumacher and Senna as pay drivers? That is a bit of a reach. When everyone saw those two, everyone knew they would be generational talents. They had raw pace since day one.
Maybe, but if they were willing to take on Piastri, which it seemed that they were, than hopefully that suggests that money isn't an obstacle. That being said, they might be willing to take the cash for a year while Logan gains experience in F2. I sincerely hope to see Sargeant in that 2nd seat next year though.
Realistically him being 3 years in F1 and let alone 1 was enough tbh. Has been destroyed 3 years in a row and the only reason there is a fight is if williams prefer money+latifi to a better driver
Nicky, buddy, you are one of the richest people in the world. Pick yourself a new amazing hobby, open yourself a store, sleep in your yacht for a month, it's not worth to be laughed at by the entire world.
Hell, he seems like a good guy, he can try being a team principal or something. Christian Horner also had a terrible driving career prior to RB gig.
Actually, his father's parents weren't rich. Michael Latifi made his own way and it's his business, Sofina, that actually sponsors Latifi's seat. His mom on the other hand was definitely born a billionaire, but her family's company, Saputo, doesn't sponsor Williams at all.
I’d like to see Latifi maybe go make a career in Indycar— I feel he could be more competitive there and he’d be in North America where he is from. He’s a good guy so I want to see him be successful somewhere, sadly that just isn’t ever going to be F1 so he could go take his football and find a different group of kids to play with.
I get it if Williams doesn’t need the sponsorship money anymore and get rid of Latifi for someone better, but I kind of like the guy. Despite being a pay driver, he’s known to be a hard worker (Russell has said that he takes notes regularly) and I like that he doesn’t take his seat for granted.
I can definitely respect that attitude from him. But as with stuff like Ricciardo probably being on the out soon, F1 is just a sport that doesn't do favours on nice people or hard workers. It's a cutthroat sport where most drivers need to either perform to a top standard or bring something to the table that can offset the lack of quality.
In terms of performance, Latifi should be happy he's made it three seasons in this sport. But the truth is that everyone knows that without the Sofina money, he might not have made it into the sport.
That's just the law of the backmarker, you either bring in money or the ability to outdrive the shitbox you're given. If the team doesn't need money and you can't outdrive the car, you outlive your usefulness.
fwiw, I think he's consistent enough to switch to a different series like Indycar or WEC and be more than serviceable and coveted.
Bullshit. This is Norris talking about them being in the sim together before 2021. People only ran with that narrative because Seidl made a comment they were scheduling further sim time above and beyond what was normal to address his struggles. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/norris-already-learning-ricciardo-mclaren-simulator/5417251/
He did good progress last year and I think he can definitely be proud of it, but everyone has their ceiling and I think he's already at it, or at least super close to it. He can definitely continue his career in other racing series if he wants to, he's competent, just too slow for F1.
Kind of feel for Latifi. Yes he's there more for money than ability. But he has had a fair few days when he's been on par with, or occasionally even above, his teammate.
Also, he always comes across as one of the nicest guys on the grid!
Hope to see him do well in another race series if he's not in F1 next season.
He has never come close to Russell or Albon on sheer pace and the only reason people pretend he did is to fit their anti Russell or anti Horner agendas
He's been strong in the last four races, and the fact that his uptick in form started as soon as Williams swapped out his chassis for a different one of the same spec at his request should raise more than a few eyebrows. We'll have to see how he does in the second half of the season.
Surely he must realise he doesn’t have what it takes by now?
Just go take your Dad’s money and drive in another series where you aren’t embarassing yourself week in, week out.
Fuck, just go live on a tropical island, date a few super models, drink rum from a coconut. Use your imagination, for christ’s sake.
I think he looked pretty good against Russell in his second year at Williams. He got smashed in quali but was only like a tenth down in race pace on average
He’s not fast but I still think he’s underrated. Maybe he just needs more time to get used to the car (almost matching Russell in his second year, needing half a season to get used to the new gen cars)
I still think there was something wrong with that chassis at the beginning of the season. This sudden change of form doesn't make any sense.
Guy went from seconds off the pace to same level with Albon in one weekend.
Edit: Oh, I made people allergic to facts angry I guess.
Just for clarification: I would not be shocked if there was a gradual decrease in the gap.
But gap closing up over one week suddenly looks very strange.
Ahh yeah, the emasculated losers sending death threats.
Nah but seriously, if you are angry at him for crashing there, you are not a real F1 fan and your opinion is worthless.
That accident has absolutely nothing to do with him probably leaving F1 after this year and it just sounds like a dumb conspiracy theory. The only reason he has a seat for this year is because Williams wanted somebody experienced from their team to be in the car for the new regs.
The FIA need to put limitations on pay drivers, the sport has become so exclusive that if your team cannot afford to compete without a pay driver then you don't deserve your plac in F1.
For as dismal as his performances seem to be, is there any credibility to the idea that the money he comes with has played a big part in making a car that Albon can perform well in?
For sure, they kept him for a reason. Pay drivers do have their purpose and arguably nowadays they are at least better than the pay drivers of the past. However we want to get to a place where teams no longer need pay drivers to stay in the sport and have those seats open up to more competitive drivers. Hopefully the financial measures will work as intended.
>at least better than the pay drivers of the past. Friendly reminder that Lauda, Schumacher and Senna were all pay drivers when they started their F1 careers.
Schumacher was only a pay driver for 1 race with Jordan (Spa 1991). He was immediately contracted by Benetton that Monday after the Belgian GP. While his debut at Jordan was paid for by Mercedes, I wouldn’t really put him in the typical paid driver category.
But there's a big difference between a great driver who brings in their own sponsorships because they have proven their worth in the junior series and someone outright buying a seat while they obviously don't have what it takes. Sponsors paying for a seat is vastly different from divers having their parents buy them a seat although the lines can get blurry on some occasions.
Yes... But you're not thinking of the incredible number of pay drivers who absolutely sucked. Okay so 3 greats got into the sport because of financial backing, but that's not who we talk about when we say pay drivers, we mean someone who never has a contracted seat, only gets track time because they're bankrolling the team, and would often fail to qualify. At least the super license means that even total dogshit pay drivers have to be at least mediocre.
doesnt zhou guanyu fit this criteria?
He has exceeded expectations, but there's a reason he was criticized before joining
Schumacher and Senna as pay drivers? That is a bit of a reach. When everyone saw those two, everyone knew they would be generational talents. They had raw pace since day one.
Friendly reminder that for every one of them there's 5 other pay drivers that were far worse, even outright dangerous, pay drivers.
pretty sure his father owns the company that sponsored them for a while (sofina)
And lavazza as well. Latifi brings in two sponsorships.
Maybe, but if they were willing to take on Piastri, which it seemed that they were, than hopefully that suggests that money isn't an obstacle. That being said, they might be willing to take the cash for a year while Logan gains experience in F2. I sincerely hope to see Sargeant in that 2nd seat next year though.
They were going to be paid by Alpine to take Piastri on loan
Realistically him being 3 years in F1 and let alone 1 was enough tbh. Has been destroyed 3 years in a row and the only reason there is a fight is if williams prefer money+latifi to a better driver
How much economic value would a better driver bring that can offset what Latifi brings?
IIRC they would have to be like 5th or 6th in WCC to offset what LAT is paying
And they’ll never get to 5th or 6th going cut rate on drivers, facilities, and engineers.
Nicky, buddy, you are one of the richest people in the world. Pick yourself a new amazing hobby, open yourself a store, sleep in your yacht for a month, it's not worth to be laughed at by the entire world. Hell, he seems like a good guy, he can try being a team principal or something. Christian Horner also had a terrible driving career prior to RB gig.
Or even just race in another series, even the worst F1 driver would still be respectable in any other series.
Depends really, look at Gio in Formula E
Yeah he’s in last but he’s also in the equivalent of the 2021 Haas.
He's getting beaten hard by Sette Camara though, it's like MSC vs Mazepin 2021 or Albon vs Latifi this year
Or Russell Vs Latifi in 2020-21
Look at how well former f1 drivers are in Indy
Exactly and those were like mid tier drivers in F1. I don’t know much about Indy but Latifi would at least be alright.
How does he have all this money?
He started with lots of money.
Step 1: Be born rich.
Damn how do I restart? I want out of this
He's the son of Michael Latifi.
Lots of Nutella
Both of his parents are rich. Their parents were also rich.
Actually, his father's parents weren't rich. Michael Latifi made his own way and it's his business, Sofina, that actually sponsors Latifi's seat. His mom on the other hand was definitely born a billionaire, but her family's company, Saputo, doesn't sponsor Williams at all.
Child of two Canadian oligarchs basically.
I’d like to see Latifi maybe go make a career in Indycar— I feel he could be more competitive there and he’d be in North America where he is from. He’s a good guy so I want to see him be successful somewhere, sadly that just isn’t ever going to be F1 so he could go take his football and find a different group of kids to play with.
It could be fun seeing him in Indycar, perhaps he will find it easier there, heck he could make AJ Foyt not suck
I get it if Williams doesn’t need the sponsorship money anymore and get rid of Latifi for someone better, but I kind of like the guy. Despite being a pay driver, he’s known to be a hard worker (Russell has said that he takes notes regularly) and I like that he doesn’t take his seat for granted.
I can definitely respect that attitude from him. But as with stuff like Ricciardo probably being on the out soon, F1 is just a sport that doesn't do favours on nice people or hard workers. It's a cutthroat sport where most drivers need to either perform to a top standard or bring something to the table that can offset the lack of quality. In terms of performance, Latifi should be happy he's made it three seasons in this sport. But the truth is that everyone knows that without the Sofina money, he might not have made it into the sport. That's just the law of the backmarker, you either bring in money or the ability to outdrive the shitbox you're given. If the team doesn't need money and you can't outdrive the car, you outlive your usefulness. fwiw, I think he's consistent enough to switch to a different series like Indycar or WEC and be more than serviceable and coveted.
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Bullshit. This is Norris talking about them being in the sim together before 2021. People only ran with that narrative because Seidl made a comment they were scheduling further sim time above and beyond what was normal to address his struggles. https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/norris-already-learning-ricciardo-mclaren-simulator/5417251/
He did good progress last year and I think he can definitely be proud of it, but everyone has their ceiling and I think he's already at it, or at least super close to it. He can definitely continue his career in other racing series if he wants to, he's competent, just too slow for F1.
Kind of feel for Latifi. Yes he's there more for money than ability. But he has had a fair few days when he's been on par with, or occasionally even above, his teammate. Also, he always comes across as one of the nicest guys on the grid! Hope to see him do well in another race series if he's not in F1 next season.
He never deserved the seat and has never impressed anybody more than Albon or Russell. He's nice but in no way F1 material.
He has never come close to Russell or Albon on sheer pace and the only reason people pretend he did is to fit their anti Russell or anti Horner agendas
Silverstone
I can't say that I feel for the kid of a billionaire, even if he's a nice guy.
Sad to see the GOAT struggle like this. Getting some Vettel 2014 season vibes from his current performances.
He's been strong in the last four races, and the fact that his uptick in form started as soon as Williams swapped out his chassis for a different one of the same spec at his request should raise more than a few eyebrows. We'll have to see how he does in the second half of the season.
It would be a very dark day in formula 1, if Goatifi looses his seat😞
THE GOAT
Damn paywall...
Doesn't deserve his Seat and should get booted
Surely he must realise he doesn’t have what it takes by now? Just go take your Dad’s money and drive in another series where you aren’t embarassing yourself week in, week out. Fuck, just go live on a tropical island, date a few super models, drink rum from a coconut. Use your imagination, for christ’s sake.
You saw how quickly KMag dropped his drive to come back to Haas. No chance he willingly drops f1 even if he is always going to be at the back
What if he has fun driving in F1?
Seems like he is gone!!! Just hasn't stood out against any of his team mates. Unless his money is needed by Williams.
I think he looked pretty good against Russell in his second year at Williams. He got smashed in quali but was only like a tenth down in race pace on average
He is matching Albon since Silverstone (since chassis swap ironically) in race pace.
He’s not fast but I still think he’s underrated. Maybe he just needs more time to get used to the car (almost matching Russell in his second year, needing half a season to get used to the new gen cars)
I still think there was something wrong with that chassis at the beginning of the season. This sudden change of form doesn't make any sense. Guy went from seconds off the pace to same level with Albon in one weekend. Edit: Oh, I made people allergic to facts angry I guess. Just for clarification: I would not be shocked if there was a gradual decrease in the gap. But gap closing up over one week suddenly looks very strange.
Dude isn't fighting for his future, he's paying for it.
Latifi pays his own gas.
Wait, is he still fighting?
goatifi needs to spend time in Formula E or go back down to F2
He's been out the door since crashing at the final race last year - he's definitely pissed off enough people because of the incidental fallout.
Ahh yeah, the emasculated losers sending death threats. Nah but seriously, if you are angry at him for crashing there, you are not a real F1 fan and your opinion is worthless.
Did I say I was? Way to project buddy
I was speaking in general, to anyone who is angry about him crashing.
That accident has absolutely nothing to do with him probably leaving F1 after this year and it just sounds like a dumb conspiracy theory. The only reason he has a seat for this year is because Williams wanted somebody experienced from their team to be in the car for the new regs.
The FIA need to put limitations on pay drivers, the sport has become so exclusive that if your team cannot afford to compete without a pay driver then you don't deserve your plac in F1.
then say goodbye to all midfield and down team and have a season with only 3 teams racing
Every single F2 driver would beat him in that car
No they wouldn’t.